otrfun wrote:
The latest model HD gas V8's are pushing ~400+ HP with new 8-10 speed trannys. Late model diesels are also pushing ~400+ HP. 400 HP means they're both capable of doing the work. But . . . that tranny on the gasser will be constantly dancing around making up for the V8's lower torque on hills---not to mention that V8 pulling 3,000 - 5,000 RPM's while that tranny dances. If the sound and feel of this dance doesn't bother you, I'd go gas. Gas means less initial cost, cheaper fuel and less maintenance. If you're not fond of the V8's little dance, go diesel. Very few, if any downshifts with the diesel. As for the exhaust brake? Priceless!
The best comments in the gas versus diesel debate that I've ever read!
In other words - horsepower is horsepower and the only torque that matters is torque on the drive axles ... and the job of proper gearing is to change that horsepower into axle torque ... in either type of engine. So the bottom line is: With a given horsepower diesels don't tow better than gas, they just tow different than gas.
Also, what's all this "exhaust braking advantage" about anyway? As far as I've heard, exhaust braking was eventually added to diesels because downshifting gears did not provide enough hold-back on downgrades due to the physics of how diesels operate in combination with their overall vehicle gearing. Modern gasser transmissions can automatically and conveniently be downshifted with each brake tap when going downhill so as to hold back the vehicle as much as needed.
